Author Archives: Alix Mortimer

Nick got the Paxman treatment last night. For some reason, it is no longer possible to embed Newsnight (cheeky, I know) so we can bring you only ye link.

A good, strong, calm performance on the whole – never wise to try and outPax the Paxman. Another success in clearly separating our pre-existing tax package from the new commitment. I know we’re a little het-up on the subject at the moment, but it wouldn’t hurt to observe that this distinction really has become clear in the press as a result of this year’s conference. Only 24

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Our Vince got a predictably warm response in his speech before lunch. Much as I would love to bring you the great man in moving technicolour, I am currently alone in the LDV Cupboard and lacking the technical means (or indeed, the first clue) to accomplish this, and can bring you only Ye Olde Text.

But I can also show you which bit made me jump up and down and cheer:

We need to confront our national obsession with property. Houses are homes to live in; not gambling chips.

Regular citizens of the People’s

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Martin Land justifiably asks whether the press are actually at conference at all. Well, I have been into the cavernous press room and many human simulations appeared to be operating the computers, but certainly as far as the front pages (and pages 2-5 inclusive) are concerned, conference might as well not be happening.

I’m not sure this isn’t a blessing in disguise, and for the media as much as us. Consider this disturbingly moronic piece from Ann Treneman of the Times:

The question-and-answer session in Bournemouth was the first time that Nick/Dave had appeared

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Brian Paddick opened this debate with his obvious strength, referencing his thirty years experience in policing in support of the basic bones of the motion:

• An extra 10,000 police officers, paid for by scrapping the ID card scheme.
• An end to centralised targets that distort local police priorities.
• Police forces to be directly accountable to local authorities
• More open reportage and analysis of crime figures
• Significant reduction in unnecessary police paperwork.
• Education and training for prisoners, plus resettlement services for outgoing prisoners
• Introduction of Community Justice Panels to be set up in every town and city to deal with low level criminality, with

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I shouldn’t be writing this really.

Occasionally I get asked to write a bit for Comment is Free, which is all very fine and splendid because I actually get paid real money for it, and one of those occasions was yesterday. Could I do a little piece on last night’s rally? And about how, you know, whether Clegg seems to be in trouble with the membership over Make it Happen, and how they respond to him? Because, you know, that’s what the talk in all the bars is all about, right?

Sigh. There’s just no way out of a prepared meedja script, is there. The conference rally was actually based around the themes of civil liberties and devolution, rather as you might expect for a party which is, er, liberal and democratic. So while on one level it is tempting to spend 500 words pointing out that a dog remains a dog no matter how often and how loudly journalists insist it is a cat and getting paid to do that, actually I’m going to talk to you about Private Finance Initiatives instead.

The motion moved by Our Vince this morning was essentially to ensure that PFI was only used where it offered better value for money, and ensure this value was monitored by the NAO, plus various measures to make the bidding system more efficient and ensure the expenditure doesn’t slip off government accounts.

Scrap the curriculum! is the glorious headline this morning on the Beeb in response to David Laws’ speech this morning.

I didn’t catch the speech, but I like the coverage. The curriculum in its current dessicated form is, IMHO, nowt more than an outmoded article of faith among statists, and not something which should detain a liberal:

Ed Balls runs our education system as if it was still one of the great nationalized industries of the last century. But from the poshest Public Schools to the toughest Maintained Schools, there is a new consensus that standardization and centralisation just don’t work.

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After an extended sojourn in Greece courtesy of a piece of dodgy souvlaki, a fire in the channel tunnel and the bankruptcy of several package holiday tour companies I finally find myself be-fish and chipped in Bournemouth.

Owing to the somewhat frenetic nature of this transfer I am superbly equipped with flip flops, sun cream and a purse full of euros. If you see someone in snorkelling gear in the bar, be sure to come and say hello.

Anyway, to business, and of course the unignorable question on everyone’s lips is… who will be the first

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